The Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care Act creates a federal loan repayment program to encourage specialty medicine physicians and other specialized health care providers to work in rural areas that lack these services. Under the program, the federal government will repay up to $250,000 in eligible student loans for participating physicians and providers who commit to six years of full-time work in underserved rural communities, paying out one-sixth of the loan balance each year plus the final amount upon completion. The bill covers federal student loans and education loans for medical specialties and applies to specialty physicians (those practicing non-primary care medicine) and certain non-physician health professionals like nurse practitioners and physician assistants, though non-physicians can receive no more than 15 percent of annual program funding. The legislation authorizes unspecified funding through 2034 and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to report to Congress every two years on program outcomes and the availability of specialty care in rural areas. Participants cannot simultaneously use this program and other federal loan forgiveness programs, and those who break their service agreements may face financial penalties.
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